Grand Theft Auto Online: Sam's favorite open world sandbox
Grand Theft Auto Online Trailer
What's special about it?
No list can be complete without some form of a Grand Theft Auto game. Grand Theft Auto 5 is great, but for me Grand Theft Auto Online has always been my favorite part of
Grand Theft Auto 5. The reason I decided to go with Grand Theft Auto Online is because it is all about your criminal, instead of playing someone else’s story. On top of that you
have the ability to play so much content, all for free if you choose, or you can purchase shark cards to make the lower-level grinding slightly easier. This game literally has it
all. It has amazing shooting and cover mechanics, cars, boats, various types of aircraft. This is the ultimate sandbox in my opinion. It has been out so long and doing so well that
you have years of content to play at your fingertips. There is a reason this game is so popular, and that is because its quality is second to none.
The only downside to this game on PC is every once in a blue moon you will come across a script kiddy who is modding in an online lobby, but this is rare in my experience,
especially now that they have an anti-cheat at the kernel level in place. As far as ways to earn money, you can do quick single contact missions, manage criminal enterprises such
as meth labs, cocaine labs, weapon manufacturing, etc. and delivering that product to potential buyers. Or, my personal favorite, through the various heists available in Grand Theft
Auto Online. These are basically mini story arcs you play through alone or with friends depending on the heist you choose to complete, and it is just a ton of fun. You can stop
mid-way if needed and break it up into multiple gaming sessions. All DLC is released for free, and can be earned for free without paying any real money. You can also use real life
money to purchase content if you do not have the time to earn it for free.
The customization in this game is pretty good. There are all kinds of outfits you can purchase to make that unique look to immerse yourself into this online world. There are
also various types of guns you can purchase like hand guns, sniper rifles, AR's, etc. and kinds of ammo types like exploding rounds, or dragon breath rounds for a shotgun. There are
thousands of cars you can buy as well. They range from your high-end sports cars, to F1 race cars, to even Twisted Metal (younger gamers may not have played a Twisted Metal game,
but they were amazing) themed weaponized vehicles. There is something for everyone.
Best of all, in this open sandbox you have the choice to play with or against other players. If my friends and I decide we are in a scrappy mood one night, we will pop into a
server, and just kill everyone. We will go after people doing their drug or weapon deliveries, we will blow up people’s cars. Just all out chaos and mayhem. Other nights we will just
amass a fortune farming heists or businesses. Nothing like doing a delivery for a business in a packed lobby and all of us on the lookout for someone trying to blow up our shipment.
It is heart pounding for sure, but in a good way. This is one I highly recommend if you are a fan of Sons of Anarchy, The Sopranos, The Mayans, Gangland, or Ray Donovan. This one is
not as brutal as Manhunt, but it is also very violent.
Pros
- Tons of content to play from alone or with friends
- Thousands of vehicles from cars, aircraft, boats, and armored weaponized vehicles
- Lots of cosmetic choices for your character, cars, and weapons
- All DLC is free
Cons
- Every once in a blue moon, a script kiddy who is modding in an online lobby